NH 276 baler gearbox

[Leftfield]

Last summer I managed to get a nice bend in my main drive gearbox shaft on my baler. The plunger tubing welded to the end of the crank arm bearing broke off and not so gently beat the flywheel until the shaft was bent. Not bad for my first year making hay! After a quick check of the price of a new shaft $$$$$ /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I found a used gearbox complete. Input shaft looks good, straight etc, but there is a bit of end play. Should I change the bearings on this shaft? Has anyone changed out these bearings, I'm wondering how big a job this will be, and if I have to take the whole gearbox apart?
Thanks

 

[kensfarm]

How are you telling that their is some "play".. does the flywheel move forward/back when you pull on it? There is a main center bolt securing the flywheel's clutch-plate assembly to the shaft.. I've had this bolt come loose and it made it seem that there was play in the shaft itself. When I bought my bailer.. there was a pack of new bearings in the tool box compartment.. but I've never replaced them.

 

[Leftfield]

I noticed the play in the used gearbox when it arrived, I haven't had a chance to install it yet. So the gear box is just sitting on a pallet. When I check the gearbox still on the baler it's hard to tell if there is any give in the input shaft with the flywheel, spacer and pto attached. I wonder if a bit of space is normal with these kind of gears. There is still a bit of snow here, but I plan on taking the baler apart soon.